We hired a part time housekeeper...

Yup, you read right. We hired a part-time housekeeper. And yes, we still have our maid!

What the F**k right?!

Well, Mark and I made the decision last night. At 10pm, both of us lay slumped over the sofa, thoroughly exhausted! It had been a bad day for me. I was still semi sick after recovering from a 3 day bout of flu, mastitis and diarrhea ( Infact, I'm still nursing a never ending cold and cough). I had to bring my maid to the doctor because she complained she was sick as Alison, who sleeps with her, keeps waking up and coughing. And get this, the family dog ( who does not stay with me but is still somehow under my care whenever he is ill) had an eye infection and my dad wanted me to take him to see the doctor. My in laws are away on holiday, I had a business meeting in the afternoon and little Angeline just didn't seem to want to sleep or eat the whole afternoon.

No doubt this was one of the worst days of the week and other days are better, but it's pretty much this hectic. In about 3 weeks, Maternity Exchange is moving to Marina Square. So this month has been filled with meetings with the interior designers and public relations consultant, printers, suppliers as I rush to get the new shop ready. It's going to get even busier. And with me constantly falling sick and triggering off a chain reaction from all the tired souls around me like my maid who has to pick up the caretaking duties when I am ill and vice versa, the shop work just never gets done.

The ony quiet time I have to do work for the business is from 10pm after Angeline is finally asleep for the night. But guess what, by then I am totally pooped and my brain is wonky. If I don't sleep, I will most surely fall sick. So that's what happens lah because I have no other time to do the work ( mothers who work from home and have a 2 year old and a totally breastfed 4month old who won't take the bottle have it tough! ). Worst of all, my milk supply drops drastically when I am tired and Angeline gets frustrated and she doesn't take her naps and .... you get my drift!

So, anyway, the key is to lighten my baby caring load so I can do some business work in the day. And to do that, we need to free my maid of her strenuous household duties like the ironing ( which never gets done now because of the babies) and mopping.That also leaves my maid enough time to just rest in the afternoon sometimes when Alison naps to recover from a bad night earlier from Alison's constant wakings ( Hope she outgrows this phase soon), and hopefully be strong enough to fight off all the flu bugs that come along. And with her stronger and freer, I can get her to help take care of Angeline a bit more so I have time to do some work in the day. Then I can sleep well at night, my milk supply with be ok, Angeline will be happy, I won't fall sick so often and overall, everybody will be happy.

All this for $200 a month for 1 day of part time help a week. It's worth it! I'm thinking once things settle down with the shop and the baby gets older and is less clingy and dependent on me, we can probably do away with it. But it's essential this month. Hell, I'm flying overseas in 3.5 weeks for a buying trip and I can't even pump out 10ml of milk - how like that!

Those of you who are wondering if my in laws can help. They do actually, they take Alison home in the afternoon twice a week. But Mark and I have decided not to trouble them any further so they can enjoy their retirement years spent doing their own thing.